iOS is a widely-used operating system developed by Apple Inc.[1], primarily for its mobile devices including iPhones, iPads, and the iPod Touch. It’s known for its multi-touch interface that allows users to interact with the system using gestures such as swiping, tapping, and pinching. With its roots in macOS, iOS incorporates a hybrid kernel and boasts a robust App Store[2] that houses millions of applications. It undergoes regular annual updates, with the latest version being iOS 17. Alongside its user-friendly interface, iOS also offers a range of accessibility features catering to users with disabilities. Another key aspect of iOS is its strict security[3] measures, particularly its sandboxing technique which restricts how apps can interact with each other and the system, enhancing privacy[4] and security. The operating system also supports multitasking, allowing users to switch between apps and manage tasks with ease.
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its smartphones. It was unveiled in January 2007 for the first-generation iPhone, launched in June 2007.
.svg){kind=small} Commercial logo as used by Apple, since 2017 | |
 iOS 17 home screen | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Written in | C, C++, Objective-C, Swift, assembly language |
| OS family | Unix-like, based on Darwin (BSD), macOS |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Closed, with open-source components |
| Initial release | June 29, 2007 |
| Latest release | 17.4.1 (March 21, 2024) [±] |
| Marketing target | Smartphones, tablet computers, portable media players |
| Available in | 41 languages |
List of languages Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong), Chinese Traditional (Taiwan), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia), English (United Kingdom), English (United States), Finnish, French (Canada), French (France), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese | |
| Update method | OTA (since iOS 5), Finder (from macOS Catalina onwards), Apple Devices (from Windows 10 version 22H2 onwards) or iTunes (Windows and macOS pre-Catalina) |
| Platforms |
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| Kernel type | Hybrid (XNU) |
| Default user interface | Multi-touch, graphical user interface |
| License | Proprietary software except for open-source components |
| Official website | www |
| Support status | |
| Supported | |
| Articles in the series | |
| iOS version history | |
It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone. It was also used on iPads (introduced: January 2010; availability: April 2010) until iPadOS was introduced in 2019, and on the iPod Touch devices, which were discontinued in mid-2022. It is the world's second-most widely installed mobile operating system, after Android. It is the basis for three other operating systems made by Apple: iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS.
As of December 2023[update], Apple's App Store contains more than 3.8 million iOS applications. These mobile apps have collectively been downloaded more than 130 billion times.
iOS is based on macOS. Like macOS, it includes components of the Mach microkernel and FreeBSD. It is a Unix-like operating system. Although some parts of iOS are open source under the Apple Public Source License and other licenses, iOS is proprietary software.
Major versions of iOS are released annually. The current stable version, iOS 17, was released to the public on September 18, 2023.
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